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White Paper 3 Accessibility in Journals Ailey Hall Intern 2019 Sahajiya Nath Editorial Assistant 2019–2021 Communication Design Quarterly’s whitepapers are researched and written by CDQ ’s Editorial Assistants, Research Assistants, and Interns in partial fulfillment of their duties to the journal. These whitepapers are not formally peer-reviewed publications, but are intended to provide a service to practitioners and academics alike by providing information and resources on, broadly, writing, editing, and publishing-related topics. TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 3 INTRODUCTION: THE NEED FOR ACCESSIBILITY 3 CDQ ’S PURPOSE WITH THIS WHITE PAPER 3 CHALLENGES WITH ACCESSIBILITY 4 ACCESSIBILITY IN JOURNALS 4 JOURNAL ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENTS 5 ACCESSIBILITY IN STYLE GUIDES 5 ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGIES 6 Paid Services and Technologies 6 Complimentary Services and Technologies 7 O ffi c e A c c e ssib ility 7 PD F Accessibility 7 Accessibility Statem ents 7 Accessibility D esign 7 ACADEMIC ACCESSIBILITY RESEARCH 8 E d u c a t io n 8 D e s ig n 8 J o u r n a ls 8 G e n e r a l 9 CONCLUSION 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 REFERENCES 9 A P P E N D IX A 10 A P P E N D IX B 11 2 OVERVIEW Included in this white paper is a collection of information and resources that could be helpful in the pursuit of a more accessible web, especially among journals. This white paper is intended to be a starting place for better journal and site accessibility. This white paper uses the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s g u id e lin e s when referring to individual’s accessibility needs and for certain language choices. Overall, this white paper explores challenges with accessibility, different strategies to overcoming some of those challenges, and resources that could be helpful in pursuing better accessibility in journals and w e b site s. INTRODUCTION: THE NEED FOR ACCESSIBILITY Accessibility is commonly defined by two separate sources, both of which give direction in the field of accessibility. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) states that “web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web” (WAI, 2005). Meanwhile, the Section 508 Amendment of the Rehabilitation Act in the USA says, “technology is accessible if it can be used as effectively by people with disabilities as those without” (as cited in Petrie, Savva, & Power, 2015, p. 1). Alternatively, there is a third definition composed by Helen Petrie, Andreas Savva, and Christopher Power in their article “Towards a Unified Definition of Web Accessibility” (2015) in which they create a more comprehensive definition: All people, particularly disabled and older people, can use websites in a range of contexts of use, including mainstream and assistive technologies; to achieve this, websites need to be designed and developed to support usability across these contexts. (p. 3) All three definitions are critical to understanding accessibility as it pertains to web usability. From these definitions there are several aspects that can be drawn to outline a general overview of accessibility. Accessibility should allow readers with disabilities to: • Comprehend the Web • Contribute to the Web • Use the Web as effectively as those without disabilities In order to accomplish this, as Petrie et al.’s definition emphasizes, websites should be designed in such a way that they enable an environment that includes not some readers, but all. In the realm of technical communication, accessibility can sometimes fall to the wayside. While accessibility should be a priority in technical communication, it has not always been a standard practice yet. This paper endeavors to outline the problem (i.e., the lack of accessibility in technical communication journals) as well as solutions to that problem. Inclusivity is crucial in journal publications as it provides a platform for all readers. By offering helpful resources and suggestions to make a journal more accessible, it is hoped that accessibility will ultimately be more universal to editors, authors, and readers. CDQ ’S PURPOSE WITH THIS WHITE PAPER Some services and technologies devoted to accessibility do so with a general lack of respect to persons with disabilities. The intent of CDQ through this white paper is to help others with their accessibility research. 3 CHALLENGES WITH ACCESSIBILITY Before delving into the findings, it is important to note that there is not one perfect way to develop a journal’s accessibility. While it is important to pursue the fundamentals of better accessibility, it is equally important to advocate accessibility through a clear and genuine desire to improve the field. Demonstrating to readers that their publication is dedicated to building a more inclusive environment through intentional and conscious action is critical, especially when it comes to overcoming the challenges lack of accessibility can present. The purpose of this white paper is to provide a starting foundation for stronger accessibility. Though not fully comprehensive, we hope to provide resources that will help further accessibility initiatives. Ultimately, the most productive way to promote accessibility in a journal is to be open-minded, transparent, and educated in the field of accessibility. Hopefully, this white paper will be a step towards a more inclusive community that embraces challenges many readers face. ACCESSIBILITY IN JOURNALS Several criteria were used when researching journals and publications for accessibility. First, we looked for references to accessibility in the submission guidelines for journals. Unfortunately, because of a lack of access to some journals, it was difficult to search for accessibility statements. Still, every journal found had public submission guidelines, so those were the main criteria for journals. The publishers of some journals did have public accessibility statements which were also evaluated. Of the twenty journals identified with a focus in professional communication of some variety, none referenced accessibility requirements in the submission guidelines for their authors (see Appendix A). All these publications through which the journals were published as well as other publications with public accessibility statements were accumulated to ascertain how different publications practice accessibility standards (see Appendix B). While a few publications found made no mention of accessibility, the publications that did were, for the most part, thorough. The best utilization of accessibility included the simplest navigation. An open, public accessibility statement that can be accessed through a link at the bottom of the website leaves a good impression. Most accessibility statements included a reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. According to their website, the WCAG is a set of guidelines “with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally” (Henry, 2005). There are three different levels of accessibility that the WCAG outlines: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Each successive level is more challenging to fulfill than the previous one. All publishers identified adhered to Levels A or AA. Meanwhile, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act contains “scoping and technical requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure accessibility and usability by individuals with disabilities” (Yanchulis, n.d.). Again, this is a comprehensive resource for accessibility, and for all “Federal agencies,” compliance is mandatory (Yanchulis, n.d.). Also, some publishers provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) in their accessibility statement. Essentially, a VPAT is a document that “explains how information and communication technology (ICT) products such as software, hardware, electronic content, and support documentation meet (conform to) the Revised 508 Standards for IT accessibility” (Section 508, 2018). This document illustrates exactly what areas of accessibility a website thrives in, as well as the areas in which a website’s design is lacking. The VPAT is another way to establish transparency between websites and readers when it comes to accessibility initiatives. 4 JOURNAL ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENTS A journal’s accessibility statement should be public and easy to navigate to, with or without access to the journal. In other words, accessibility statements should be easily accessible. A reader should be able to determine how accessible a journal is for their personal needs before investing in access. For easy navigability, insert a link to the journal’s personal accessibility statement at the bottom of the page (i.e., footer), like many publications. Also, these accessibility statements should be thorough, effectively outlining what steps the journal has taken to ensure accuracy and effort in the accessibility prerogative. We recommend adhering to level AA of the WCAG 2.1. Most universities and businesses are following level AA because (a) it has stronger impact on design in terms of color contrast, and (b) it gives more legal coverage than level A. Finally, be open about accessibility. Provide an outlet for readers to offer suggestions and critiques; because understanding the challenges of readers will ultimately grow a journal’s accessibility
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